I’d guess that, at the minimum, half of our population is aware of the origins and reasons for the annual festival that is Mashramani.
Before I become basically serious, let me remind of two elements: the Jaycees of Linden in 1970 solicited and accepted the assistance of our first people. Hence, we must recognize the simple but significant contributions of our indigenous Amerindians to a forty-one year old national festival – its very name and the noble but practical rationale for that description.
Secondly, it was a PNC government minister who appropriated the festival from the folks at Linden and made it national. Forbes Burnham surely “Nationalised” everything worthy in those days! So in the milieu of everything “politicized”, what is the PNC’s position and perspective on Mashramani? Is nah still “we ting”? Next, where are our Amerindian Guyanese at Mash time? The “PNC people” could be in bands or floats and in the schools events – and in the calypso, steelband and crowds. But should not Amerindian Guyanese demonstrate more presence? Participation?
Okay, I know the festival has, probably, never been sold and marketed as it should have been, over the years. Too many still don’t relate to much of what the festival stands for. Who is to be blamed for all the above? What about you? Do you really care about what should be an institutionalized national event? Before you respond, read on a bit.
Their Mash?
Our Mash?
Remember when some Indo-Guyanese were reluctant to stand for the National Anthem during the more repressive years of the Burnham Era? Because they (erroneously) connected our National musical symbol to the Burnham autocracy and his denial of their electoral choice?
Could it be that some folks still relate Mash to its Burnham/PNC origins? Thus their indifference, reluctant/token participation, or outright boycott? I suspect that some members of the larger corporate Guyana as well as certain businessmen – as in the past – don’t contribute to Mashramani because they don’t want this government to look too good and in a position to proclaim that “Mash was a great success this year”.
Others, for reasons of religion, class, race, moral standards, etc, just don’t relate to the festival. Tell me why Regent/Robb/Water Street stores do not contribute or participate; why more airlines, insurance companies and certain manufacturers give Mash the cold shoulder still.
Let me recognize people’s right to choose their celebration, entertainment and specific observance. Frankly Speaking, to me there is the lovely phenomenon whereby the Christian festival of Christmas is the most all-embracing celebration which most Guyanese now make “national”. How and why that happened could be analysed, but people express their preferences in many ways.
Finally for now, I say that besides the unfortunate, divisive them-and-us” syndrome some of us exhibit, we have not allowed Mash to capture our spirit. Perhaps that’s Mashramani’s fault! I’ll return to this issue soon. For now, I admire the generational heritage of Little Islands like Grenada, St Vincent, The Bahamas, St Lucia and Big Places like Trinidad, Brazil, Louisiana (USA) where their carnivals are in their blood, spirit and soul! Are we doomed to be cosmetic and artificial here? Discuss.
Judging calypso,
pan, fashion…
You have a competition, a concert or a wager. You want to assess who’s “the best” or which performance or exhibit is tops.
So, naturally, you have to have competition rules, conditions and or criteria through which to base your assessment, judgement, conclusions and decisions.
Fair enough, but this is just a brief comment of mine to suggest that there are occasions when some finer moments and performances just cannot be judged in such a manner as to please everyone – or even the majority. Reasons?
There is the human factor. Judges are not always experienced or fair. Some are out of their depth, or they personalize their decisions, ignoring the rules to favour or penalize contestants. Audiences frequently have pre-conceived favourites and are usually not versed in the technical or finer points of the criteria and requirements. Audiences need to be informed much more.
Can you really judge beauty. That’s in the Eye of the Beholder. We should not deem anyone ugly! Judges can assess talent, skill or knowledge. Not beauty!
I repeat this mantra. In song and music, there can hardly be any originality! Somewhere, some time in some place it was done before. There can be variations on a theme, some innovation and creative re-doing. But don’t tell me – tell others about “originality”.
Even if a good song, Calypso whatever, is placed at the bottom by some judges, I’ll always like it and appreciate the creation.
How do you select a national dress or costume? Shouldn’t that be traditional? Evolving from the folk to depict the creativity and identity of a nation’s people? Well okay, I suppose a designer can “fashion” “national” wear/. But try not to let Guyanese ladies look like Japanese!
Then this past Sunday evening the audience just loved the renditions delivered by one large Steel-band at the Mashramani Pan-O-Rama Competition. But they were sorely, visibly, vocally disappointed when the judges placed that band last of the four competing orchestras. People have a right to their choice, of course, but fair-minded, objective judges know the finer points of Rossini’s William Tell Overture (Finale) which all bands were alerted about. Arrangers, conductors and players just had to treat that Test Piece with love, respect and loyal interpretation. How many were truly aware?
The moral? Let’s still respect judges who try to assess standards. But love creativity and creators – beyond final results.
Ponder…
What? No journalistic investigator can unravel the status of that huge building under construction at High and Princes Streets, Georgetown – for years!?
1b) Farewell to Mrs Hoyte. A fonder personal farewell to the now late Police Commissioner Henry
Alfonso Fraser.
My heart bleeds. Why? Well a few years ago I was chosen by Mr Fraser to write his Biography. I sat with him at Duncan Street for hours! I listened to him and his tapes. I perused his scripts. (I even had a lovely respectful fear of him.)
He told me of Forbes Burnham, about Norman McLean, about knowing the Jagans on the Corentyne – and even the Logies.
I completed the first chapter of “From Constable to Commissioner” but circumstances conspired to make me never complete that wonderful life-story of that Suriname-born Guyanese. Respect Sir!
Will Gafoors, Toolsie, Muneshwers, GTM, Caribbean Airlines, the PNCR-1G, The UF, The AFC, The GGG, The Bank of Guyana, Scotia and the Pandits Council and CIOG – Mash this year?
See you at Kaiso and Chutney tomorrow night.
‘Til next week
(Comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
